Undergraduate / I was ranked 1,569 in Maharashtra; Personal Statement - Physics&Math [6]

IT is a personal statement

"So, do you take Aggruz?"
"Yeah."
"So, what is the critical temperature of Bose-Einstein condensate?"
"Umm..."
Imagine ending up, willingly, in a group of people who are undeniably superior to you. Imagine being the sole tortoise in a rabbit race. It would be quite a task to even get noticed, yet more importantly to not lose yourself. I was in such a catch22 during the three-month summer vacation when I was enrolled in Mumbai's infamous "Aggrawal Classes," mind-bogglingly crammed with the future Einsteins and Newtons of India.

The set of Aggrawal Classes is known throughout Mumbai as the ultimate temple of education, reserved for the esteemed elite and considered a dream destination for all those pursuing fields in the sciences. The best professors in Mumbai prepare the brightest minds for the crucial entrance examination for Engineering/Medical College, the sole determinant in the admissions process. There is such cut-throat competition that even a score of 95% in math and science in tenth grade would not guarantee a place in the Aggrawal Classes. Just a handful gets in from the thousands aspiring for admission, and I, being one of the few in that very handful, could not pass up the opportunity of being a part of an institution, which has a mammoth standing of excellence. In fact, for the past 50 years, not a year has gone by when a State Topper has not been from Aggruz.

I was among the last few who got in. After all the hype surrounding my admission came the first day of my class. But, there was much more to it than the fame it possessed; I realized it the very first day. All of my academic weaknesses were exposed. I had far less knowledge than I presumed I had. Crammed in a room teeming of 96 Pentium-processing brains, 96 Duracell-powered hands, and 96 pairs of attentive eyes, my self-confidence was trapped amid the class's profound concentration. I still remember one classmate, Raj Patel, sitting beside me who asked on the very first biology lecture, "What kind of joint is present in the skull?" I was shaken up by the knowledge a tenth grader could have on the first lecture, prior to the introduction of the topic. What was even more astonishing was that people around me even started discussing it. To make the first day a complete disaster, a grueling math lecture followed. After a very brief introduction of the syllabus, the teacher gave everybody a problem to solve. Even before I could digest the problem, almost the entire class erupted with the correct answer. I knew that I was good at math, but these kinds of incidents just dented my confidence.

This was just the start of what was to come; there were far more Raj Patel's than I ever thought existed! I had undeniably lost my confidence, yet I knew it had not disappeared; it was merely far from my reach. To add insult to the injury, I scored disappointingly on the initial weekly tests. My parents were unbelievably shocked. I can still remember the long talk we had on a rainy Sunday morning. By the end of the conversation, I realized I had to follow my father's advice: "Don't worry about what others can do; just concentrate on what you can do to the fullest."

The next couple of months were the most dramatic months of my life. I was much more determined and focused than ever in my life. I started pushing myself to the furthest limits possible, and in the process, I found new extremes within me, which surprises me even today. It is unbelievable how I could manage to study for six to seven hours after a grueling seven-hour lecture. I not only started doing my homework, but also went ahead and studied for the next, upcoming lecture. I always jokingly say that I had found the superhuman within me.

As I started looking beyond my peers, I realized that I had an intense love for physics and mathematics. I started going beyond the scope of the syllabus and read about things out of pure curiosity. By this time, I was far from being the quickest or the smartest in the class, but I had done enough to rub shoulders with everybody. I could now discuss topics such as serrate joint in the skull, and I was even quick and accurate enough to solve problems in math. I received a surprisingly good marks in twelfth grade and scored highly on the entrance examination for engineering college. Moreover, I was ranked 1,569 in the entire state of Maharashtra, out of half a million applicants. The rest is history, and I finally knew about the critical temperature of the Bose-Einstein condensate.

what do you think...???
Does it give the right picture that classes are so very important to us in india!!